1936 Ford Coupes - Fraternal Twins

It's hard to think of another inanimate object that has the ability to create the lasting friendships and express an individual's sense of being the way an automobile does. But then again, it's hard to think of something as personal and exciting as a hot rod as an "inanimate object." Once you've spent countless hours in the garage crafting a special vehicle and been there for the first flick of the key when the engine inhaled and then roared to life, you can no longer feel the collection of steel, rubber, vinyl, and glass is made up of the same soulless materials that make up your household appliances or similar mundane machinery.

For friends Rich Muraoka and Ken Harris, the bonds between their cars were made long before they met, or you could even say long before they were even born. While their current rides first came from the Ford factory in 1936 as nearly identical five-window coupes, they would come together much later in life to be rebuilt in a very similar fashion. One car paved the way while the other followed the refinements as the builders honed the changes on the second coupe with tips learned while modifying the first.

2/17

The Blue '36 When it was time for a new project, Rich found the humble beginnings of his '36 Ford coupe resting peacefully in a Southern California barn. It looked like something he and his friend Joe Limones could build, so they dragged it home to Gilroy to begin the transformation. Working around a tight budget, Rich got things started by rebuilding the original chassis with a Heidt's Mustang II kit with a pair of disc brakes actuated by a Camaro master cylinder and pedal assembly. Under the rear, a pair of parallel leaf springs mounts an 8-inch Ford rearend.

3/17

Powering Rich's '36 is a deep-breathing 383ci Chevy small-block topped with a Weber manifold wearing four downdraft Weber carburetors. Mounted directly behind the mighty Mouse is a T5 manual trans. A recent addition to Rich's always evolving ride is the set of open headers exiting out of the engine compartment. Rich says the pipes work great and so far haven't caused any problems burning valves due to a lack of back pressure and a full exhaust system.

Rich MuraokaGilroy, California 1936 Ford Coupe

7/17

Drivetrain Rich wanted a healthy mill to power his '36 so Gilroy Machine put together a 383ci Chevy small-block using Engle crank and rods with JE pistons and COMP Cams bumpstick. On the topside, a pair of camel-hump heads sits under a Weber intake attached to a quartet of Weber carburetors, and pieces from Edelbrock and Mooneyes dress up the engine. A custom set of headers not only makes a visual statement, but as the sole form of an outlet for spent exhaust gasses, it makes a strong audio statement as well. Sitting behind the mill is a T5 manual trans pirated from an IROC Camaro.

8/17

ChassisStarting with the original 'rails found under his coupe, Rich upgraded them for serious street duty with a Heidt's MII IFS under the nose and a pair of parallel leafs securing a Ford 8-inch rearend under the tail. A recent upgrade installed by Rich is a full Air Ride Technologies system.

Wheels & TiresA set of 15x5- and 15x7-inch steelies wears a special set of owner-made caps and is wrapped in a set of 165R15 and 215R15 wide whites.

9/17

Body & PaintJumping right in with both feet, Rich took care of one of the most difficult tasks by successfully removing 3 inches from the roof height. After the top was chopped it was also filled with an insert from a '41 Dodge sedan. All things unnecessary, such as door and truck handles, and even the hood, were left off before Rich sprayed on the PPG basecoat of Honda Blue on the '36's curvaceous panels.

InteriorInside Rich's coupe is a well-planned interior sketched up by his friend Victor Wilson and stitched up by Rivero in silver vinyl over a pair of Honda bucket seats. The molded dash carries a set of white-faced gauges to keep track of the vitals and a Chevy van column is topped by a LeCarra steering wheel.

10/17

The Red '36 While the lessons were first being learned from the modifications made to Rich's '36, the same group of friends were using that knowledge on another similar '36 Ford coupe. While Rich's car was the "guinea pig," the second coupe was taken just a little further during each step. The chassis was set up in nearly identical fashion with a Heidt's IFS and a Ford 8-inch rearend bolted to a pair of parallel leaf springs.

Power again comes from a Chevy small-block, this time around being a '67 327ci version. The wild induction system is purely vintage with an original Edelbrock 6x2 M1 intake topped with six Holley 94 carburetors. Dress-up items include plenty of finned and polished goodies to sparkle in the hoodless engine compartment.

11/17

Lessons were learned chopping the first coupe, so when it came time to lower the lid on the second '36, the builders went a little further and took out an extra half inch (3 1/2 total) and leaned the B-pillars and rounded the corners while they were at it. The car was sprayed in a temporary coat of red oxide primer and then put up for grabs on the open market.

This is where current owner Ken Harris enters the picture. After he purchased the '36 coupe, he soon found out the car was built less than five miles from his house, and he eventually became friends with the original builders.

Wanting to personalize the Ford even further, Ken worked with his new friends to give the car a memorable personality. The first version included a turquoise paint job with red accents. That lasted for a while, but then Ken envisioned something that wouldn't get his car confused with his buddy Rich's blue coupe. With an important show just around the corner, Ken decided a switch to red paint with metallic flame accents was just the trick to ensure everyone would know which coupe was his. Despite their differences, the fact is these '36s will forever be twins at heart.

12/17

Ken Harris Gilroy, California 1936 Ford Coupe

Drivetrain The heartbeat of Ken's '36 is provided by a '67 Chevy 327ci fed by an Edelbrock 6x2 intake manifold topped with a full set of Holley 94 two-barrel carbs. Spent gasses exit out a pair of ceramic-coated ram's horn exhaust manifolds and a pair of Flowmaster mufflers. The engine is backed up by a Gennie Shifter-equipped Chevy TH350 automatic transmission.

13/17

Chassis Similar to Rich's chassis, Ken's uses all the same components with a Heidt's IFS attached to the original chassis and a pair of parallel leaf springs in the rear swingin' an 8-inch Ford rearend. To get the car as low as Ken likes it, the center crossmember was reworked and the rear of the frame was boxed and C-notched to get over the rearend.

Wheels & Tires To capture the '60s vibe, Ken built a set of 15x4 and 15x7 Radir Tri-Rib wheels into his car, wrapped in a set of Coker wide whites (165R15s & 215R15s).

14/17

Body & Paint Extensive bodywork is what Ken's coupe is known for and the list includes the chopped roof (3 1/2 inches by "Choppin' Joe" Limones), slanted B-pillars with rounded corners, filled cowl vent, new firewall, and a Frenched rear license plate and '59 Cadillac taillights. Once all the body mods were complete, Willie Taitano sprayed the coupe Torch Red and added the metalflake accents in his shop, Willie's Place Rods & Kustoms in Campbell, California.

Interior The inside complements the exterior with White Pearl vinyl over a pair of early Mustang buckets, again stitched up by Rivero. The smoothed dash mounts a set of Dolphin white-faced gauges and hangs a '56 Ford steering column topped by a '59 Pontiac Bonneville steering wheel.